In her conversations with Juan Diego, Our Lady of Guadalupe reveals, “Know and understand that I am the ever-Virgin Mary, Mother of the true God through whom all things live.” In her simple greeting, Our Lady reveals three things to Juan Diego and to us:

1) that she is the ever-Virgin Mary,

2) that she is appropriately called the Mother of God, and

3) that God is the One through whom all things live.

It is curious that she says “ever Virgin Mary” because we know that she appeared to Juan Diego with a black bow around her waist signifying that she was with child. In this way, the Blessed Virgin makes clear that she conceived Jesus in her womb through the power of the Holy Spirit, and that she remained a Virgin forever.

When Our Lady of Guadalupe pleads with us to take to heart her question, “Am I not your Mother?” she wants us to know that she is also God’s Mother. Moreover, she wants us to have the same confidence, security, trust, and love for her that the Baby Jesus had! Truly we can call her Our Mother: we can bring anything to her and trust that she will always look over us.

We must trust her, that is, we must have confidence in her like a child has for his loving Mother. This means that we can look to her for help always, everywhere and for everything.

 

The Holy House of Loreto is not only a “relic”, but also a precious and true “icon”. It is an “icon” not of abstract truths, but of an event and a mystery: the Incarnation of the Word.

“When the fullness of time came, God sent his Son, born of woman”. Mary is that Woman. She is, so to speak, the “space” both physical and spiritual in which the Incarnation took place. But even the House in which she lived is a tangible reminder of the reality of this mystery.

Behind that altar, St Josemaria consecrated Opus Dei to our Mother. There is a tight space behind, entering the grilled door you see at the right.

 

The hidden life in there, reawakens in us the sense of holiness of the family, presenting a whole array of values, today so threatened, such as faithfulness, respect for life, the education of children, and prayer.

The Holy House recalls at the same time the greatness of the vocation to virginity for the Kingdom, and the gift of celibacy which had its glorious beginnings in the person of Mary, Virgin and Mother.

Here, we recognize the place of women in the Church and in society. Since God “sent his Son born of woman,” every woman was elevated, in Mary, to such a dignity greater than which no other can be conceived.

In addition, no theoretical consideration can ever exalt the dignity of human work more than the simple fact that the Son of God worked in this House and wanted to be called “son of the carpenter”.

And, about the “choice for the poor” The austere and humble walls of the Holy House visually remind us that God himself had inaugurated this choice in Mary.

Still on this theme of poverty and suffering, the sick have had a privileged place in the history of the Shrine. They were among the first to hasten as pilgrims to this House and to make it known to others. Where could they, moreover, be better welcomed, than in the House of Her whom precisely we invoke in the “Litany of Loreto” as “Health of the sick” and “Comforter of the afflicted”?

 

Christ, the light of all lights, follows John, the lamp that goes before him. The Word of God follows the Voice in the wilderness; the Bridegroom follows the bridegroom’s friend, who prepares a worthy people for the Lord by cleansing them by water in preparation for the Spirit.

We needed God to take our flesh and die for us, that we might live. We have died with him, that we may be purified. We have risen again with him, because we have died with him. We have been glorified with him, because we have risen again with him.

Thank you, Lord, for this privileged time to prepare ourselves to celebrate the event that marked history... and my history. God himself became incarnate in his Son, Jesus, to heal our original wound: that disobedience, that pride that turns us away from Love. May this Advent be my opportunity to bring Christ to those closest to me.

Illustration: The Holy House of Loreto and detail of the image of Our Lady.

 

 

 

Christians can help so many men and women who today have lost the foundation of life to find it. Our lives, our faith, make a difference when they are firmly united to the will of God. Then they become a beacon of light, a lighthouse, an indestructible rock to guide our brothers and sisters to the love and knowledge of God.

Today, is St. Juan Diego, to whom Our Lady of Guadalupe appeared. With him, we could say,

Thank you, Lord, for the dream that flooded my soul yesterday, I know it's worth it, but to have a vocation you have to be called ....

That day, you showed me what you expected from me. Thank you for trusting me...!!!!! I need to be what you want me to be, a light that illumines, a lighthouse in the middle of the world, and above all, to be yeast in the dough, that makes the batch rise, and still goes unnoticed....

 

8 DECEMBER: THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you! Blessed are you among women. Thus, the Archangel St Gabriel could have greeted her in a hundred different ways, but he does so by reminding her of what is the most important thing for a Christian soul: that she is full of grace, the creature who enjoys a very special intimacy with God because she is filled with grace.

We too are loved by God, who has made us his children. By adopting us, he has placed his grace in our souls, which leads us to resemble Christ and become holy.

Do you strive to respond with complete generosity to God's inspirations? There are some words of Christ's in the Gospel that are very clear but that sometimes trouble me: For to him who has will more be given; and from him who has not, even what he has will be taken away (Mk 4:25). If you and I respond to grace, like our Mother, God will enable us to respond even more; if we strive to be faithful to our calling, he will give us more help at every moment and make us holier each day. Let us make a firm resolution, then, to thank God for all the gifts he has bestowed on us.

Let us ask Holy Mary, Spes Nostra, our Hope, to kindle in us a holy desire that we may all come together to dwell in the house of the Father. Nothing needs disturb us if we make up our minds to anchor our hearts in a real longing for our true fatherland. Our Lord will lead us there with his grace, and he will send a good wind to carry our ship to the bright shores of our destination.

My resolution for today:

To live my life close to Mary, so that, one day, I may be sheltered under her blue mantle, happy forever.

Illustration: Immaculate Conception of Murillo

 

7 DECEMBER: NOVENA TO THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION

God expects us to bear supernatural fruit. If we know Jesus, we realize that we can live only by giving ourselves to the service of others. Christians can’t be caught up in personal problems; they must be concerned about the universal Church and the salvation of all souls.

Our Lord often spoke about the need to bear fruit in our interior life and our apostolate. I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch of mine that bears no fruit, he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit.

Mary, who brought Jesus up and accompanied him through his life and is now beside him in heaven, will help us recognize Jesus as he crosses our path and makes himself present to us in the needs of our fellow men.

“Don’t let discouragement enter into your apostolate. You haven’t failed, just as Christ didn’t fail on the Cross. Take courage!... Keep going, against the tide, protected by Mary’s Immaculate and Motherly Heart: Sancta Maria, you are my refuge and my strength. Hold your peace. Be calm... God has very few friends on earth. Don’t yearn to leave this world. Don’t shy away from the burden of the days, even though at times we find them very long.

“Many conversions, many decisions to give oneself to the service of God have been preceded by an encounter with Mary. Our Lady has encouraged us to look for God, to desire to change, to lead a new life. And so, her advice ‘Do whatever he tells you’ has turned into real self-giving, into a Christian vocation, which from then on enlightens all our personal life.” (St Josemaría)

My resolutions for today:

My prayer and action must go hand in hand. To live friendship intensely, open to all, to increase the number of friends and contacts.

Prayer always leads to specific apostolic deeds.

To foster a spirit of mortification.

To mark myself daily goals in the apostolate.

Illustration: Immaculate Conception by Alonso Cano

 

6 DECEMBER: NOVENA TO THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION

“I am the Mother of Fair Love, and of fear, and of knowledge and of holy hope.” This is the lesson which Mary teaches us today: The lesson of the Most Beautiful Love, of living a clean life, of having a sensitive and passionate heart, so that we may learn to be faithful in our service to the Church. This is no ordinary love. It is Love itself. There is no room here for betrayal, calculation, or tepidity. It is a fair, beautiful love, because its beginning and end is God, who is thrice Holy, who is all Beauty, all Goodness, and all Greatness.

Jesus is our model for living holy purity. Among the virtues, charity, of course, is the highest, but chastity is indispensable. It is a "sine qua non" for anyone who wants to follow Christ. When it is missing, when a person fails to struggle, he becomes blind; he can't see anything.

At times I have seen an athlete's eyes light up at the sight of the obstacles he has to overcome. What a victory there is in store! How eagerly he conquers the difficulties! That is how the Lord our God looks upon us. He loves our struggle. We will always be victorious because he grants us his all-powerful grace. It doesn't matter if we have to fight, since he never abandons us.

At this very moment, you should trustingly beg Our Lady, as you accompany her in the solitude of your heart, without saying anything out loud: “Mother, this poor heart of mine rebels so foolishly! If you don’t protect me...” And she will help you to keep it pure and to follow the way to which God has called you.

“And now, my child, I ask you: how are you facing up to this battle? You know very well that a fight kept up from the beginning is a fight already won. Fight immediately, as soon as you are aware of the first sparks of passion, and even before. Also speak up immediately, if possible, even before anything happens.” (St Josemaría)

My resolutions for today:

Daily, to conquer myself, to apply the means to live chastity.

Human means: Sincerity: a savage sincerity in spiritual direction.

To guard my senses and my heart. Avoid being idle. Moderation in eating and drinking. Guarding my eyes and my heart, no tolerance for pornography.

Supernatural means: Mortification, small ones.

Prayer and the devout reception of the sacraments.

My love for our Lady; chastity is related to humility.

Illustration: Immaculate Conception of José Claudio Antolínez

 

5 DECEMBER: NOVENA TO THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION

The prayer of our Mother. “Mary kept all these things and meditated upon them in her heart…” “His mother kept carefully all these things in her heart.” Twice the evangelist speaks of this prayerful attitude of our Mother, when facing the events of Jesus’ early life. The insistence of St Luke seems to be an echo the prayerful attitude of Mary, that he could have learnt from the apostles.

Mary meditates and keeps all the details in her heart. She knows about interior recollection and values in her intimacy the plans of God. Mary is always in prayer and everything she does is in reference to her Son.

I should learn from her to pray, to deal with God. Without prayer I am lost. With prayer I can achieve everything.

How is my prayer, is there dialog with God? Do I persevere in it? Do I use it as a remedy against temptation? Without prayer I lose joy. Prayer helps me to work better.

Nobody in this world knows how to deal with Jesus as well as his Mother did. And after his Mother, it is St Joseph. He could have spent hours looking at the Child, talking to him, dealing with him with simplicity and veneration. If I go to Mary and Joseph, I will learn to deal with our Lord.

Let us ask the blessed Virgin to teach us to recognize the constant calls from God, knocking at the door of our heart. Let us ask her now: “Help us to recognize him in the midst of the cares of each day. Stir up our mind and will so that we may listen to the voice of God, to the calls of grace.”

My resolutions for today:

To increase my devotion to Our Lady and to Saint Joseph, to be a person of prayer.

Illustration: Immaculate Conception called La Niña_Murillo

 

4 DECEMBER: NOVENA TO THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION

Mary is the Mother of Jesus and our Mother. This should lead us to have a tender, filial relationship with our Mother, fostering confidence in her. Mary is always ready to help us.

I should ask myself, what place does my Mother Mary occupy in my life? Have I “received” her in my life, as Saint John did? Or do I leave her alone, outside, not realizing that she is the person who has helped me most throughout my life? Today, have I often called her, “Mother”?

As a model of my relationship with Mary I should think of my relationship with my own mother on earth; that should be the pattern of my dealing with my Mother in heaven, with the most sweet name of Mary.

The Lord wants me to feel that I am a son of Mary, that I may love her because she is the person easiest to love, and that I may do so by means of little details with her of refinement and of love, perhaps very small but concrete ones.

My resolutions for today:

To repeat many aspirations,

To frequently glance at the image of Our Lady,

To make acts of atonement, considering that many Christians have forgotten about her, always going to her in any necessity,

To remember her with the Angelus and praying the Rosary.

Illustration: Immaculate Conception of Carreño de Miranda

 

3 DECEMBER: NOVENA TO THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION

Intercession of Mary. It is easy to imagine how she would have prepared the items her Son needed for his apostolic journeys along the roads of Palestine in the company of the Twelve. In Cana, Jesus shows us the power of Mary’s intercession. Later, when the drama of Calvary unfolded in all its bitter reality, Mary was present to help Jesus accomplish his mission, during his last moments on this earth. And her unshakable faith and hope brought strength to the apostles when the Body of her Son lay in the tomb.

Mary continually builds up the Church and keeps her together.

Mother, we thank you for your intercession before Jesus. Without you we would not have been able to reach Him. How true it is that one always goes to Jesus and returns to Him through Mary! (St Josemaría)

My resolutions for this day:

1. To go more often to the intercession of Our Lady; asking for the Church, for the pope, for the priests, for the families, for all our special intentions.

2. The Memorare…many.

3. The Rosary, with piety and attention, especially today.

Illustration: Immaculate Conception of José de Ribera (nicknamed Españoleto)

 

The Church invites everyone to look at Mary, the woman who personifies the original and authentic idea of what each person is, namely, the image of God.

This is our goal in the novena that begins today: to direct the eyes of those around us to holy Mary's beautiful countenance. We want them to discover her motherly affection and to learn to love her wholeheartedly. Undoubtedly the imitation of Christ is the road to follow if we are to be saints and reflect the absolute perfection of our heavenly Father....

But while the Catholic Church has always proclaimed this holy truth, it has also insisted that the imitation of the Virgin Mary in no way hinders one from faithfully following Christ, but rather makes this easier and more lovable.

Each day of this novena we too want to offer our Lady a rose by the deeds we perform in her service. At the evening examination of conscience, we hope to be able to say, “Here you have my gift for today, Mother.” And then from her heavenly throne she will smile upon us, for in those efforts of ours she will see the reality of our dedication.

30 NOVEMBER: NOVENA TO THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION

Today, all of us should strive to put greater diligence into prayer, into the fulfillment of our professional duties and into small voluntary mortifications, doing everything with filial love for the Blessed Virgin, Mother of God and of the Church, and our Mother. In addition, we also strive to grow in love for our Lady by showing her special signs of affection during these days and spreading devotion to her among our friends. Each day of the novena should be marked by a greater apostolic zeal. We want to awaken in many hearts a filial love for holy Mary, which perhaps has been weak or dormant for many years.

In recalling an incident from his own life, St Josemaría tells us, “Every year, during the month of May, the rector of an old seminary used to go to the rooms, knocking on the doors one by one, after the seminarians had already retired for the evening. When they opened the door, the rector would give them a rose to offer to our Lady. But whenever a seminarian had failed to be a good son of our heavenly Mother, either by breaking one of the rules or neglecting his study, the rector would knock on his door and say, ‘Today, you cannot offer our Lady a rose.’" I want to be able to offer her a beautiful rose every day of this Novena.

My resolutions for today:

1. Availability. “Behold the Handmaid of the Lord…” You want it, Lord? I also want it.

2. Increased spirit of prayer: “She kept all these things in her heart…”

3. To open our soul to the Lord by means of a good confession.

Illustration: Immaculate Conception of Museo del Prado by Bartolomé Esteban Murillo

 

2 DECEMBER: NOVENA TO THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION

The faith of Mary. “Blessed you who believed…” (Lk 1:45). Faith because God's plans are inscrutable: we know them only in a fragmented way, as though we were seeing just the knots of the reverse side of a splendid tapestry. But God sees, with complete clarity, the design and color and meaning of the entire work of art.

Life is like a path with signals. The first clue leads you to the next, and to the next. Similarly, it happens with the plans of God on us. It is like that children’s game of finding a treasure, each indication leads you to the next and to the next and at the end you shall find the treasure. Our treasure is Christ and the road leading to it is the fulfillment of the divine will. In our prayer, we find clues about what God is asking from us.

Our Lady meditated, she pondered on those events at the beginning of her vocation, alone with God. “Our Mother, you brought to earth Jesus, who reveals the love of our Father God. Help us to recognize him in the midst of the cares of each day. Stir up our mind and will so that we may listen to the voice of God, to the calls of grace.” (St Josemaría)

My resolutions for this day:

1. To look at all events and circumstances with the eyes of faith, the way God wants me to look at them, bringing them to my prayer.

2. To proclaim my faith with courage, talking about the Lord, talking about the treasure that I have found.

3. Liturgical piety, at Mass, the visit to the Tabernacle, my genuflections.

4. Aspirations, many, throughout the day. “Lord, increase my faith.”

Illustration: Immaculate Conception of Murillo

 

1 DECEMBER: NOVENA TO THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION

Generosity of Our Lady. “Behold the Handmaid of the Lord…” She gives herself totally to implement God’s Will. She accepts everything that the Lord is asking from her. Like her, I want that any occasion, or person, or plans recede to the second place in order to do what God is asking me to do. No excuses. No time to think it over from that moment. Jesus should be the reason for which I live.

Like her, I want to live generosity in the great things but also in the little things of my everyday life. I want to throw away any thought of egoism.

Mother, help me to give to God the best of my life.

My resolutions for today:

1. To ask Our Lady light to see what God wants from me and to have the courage to accomplish it.

2. More spirit of service to others. Specifically, having some details of generosity with the people close to me.

Illustration: Immaculate Conception by Tiepolo.